What is an Educational Therapist? 

Educational Therapy is a one-on-one, individualized program of instruction designed to address specific processing disorders interfering with learning.  An educational therapist is concerned with the entire process of learning, not just a specific subject or skill.  The goal of the educational therapist is to attempt to discover how a client learns, the processes interfering with learning, the optimal modality needed to help the client learn better, and the client’s learning strengths.  Educational Therapy demystifies learning problems and helps to increase the clients’ awareness of their strengths.  Educational Therapy helps clients use their strengths to overcome or compensate for areas of weakness.

Educational therapy is often confused with tutoring, but it is very different.  A tutor is a person concerned with teaching and/or remediating a specific academic subject or skill.  The job of a tutor is to assist a student to master specific skills related to specific subjects or to increase the understanding of a subject so the student can improve his or her grade in that subject.  A tutor can be trained to deliver instruction in a very limited subject or skill area to help a struggling student, or can be knowledgeable in a wide range of academic subjects. 

An educational therapist is a highly trained, professional individual, with at least a Master’s Degree, or the equivalent in post B.A. work.  Through careful listening, observation, and interaction, the educational therapist seeks to discover patterns, habits and thinking processes that may be interfering with learning and/or optimal achievement.  The educational therapist then assists the client to fill in gaps in instruction, discover learning strengths, introduce new learning habits and behaviors, and develop strategies to cope with learning difficulties.

The educational therapist provides specific remedial instruction, as needed, such as phonemic awareness, reading fluency/comprehension, spelling, written expression, basic math skills, etc.  However, the goal of the educational therapist is to not only provide over-all remedial instruction, but to also assist the client to identify his or her strengths and by using those strengths, develop strategies for coping with learning difficulties, learning differences, and/or processing disorders that are interfering with his or her learning or achievement.

 What is the Association of Educational Therapists (AET)?

• AET is the nationally recognized professional association for educational therapists
• • AET sets the standards and defines the practice of Educational Therapy.
• • AET encourages the highest level of professional excellence.
• • AET provides access to the most current expertise in our profession through
• conferences, workshops, and contact with our most experienced members.
• • AET promotes contact with allied professionals in related professions,
• including medicine, psychology, speech and language, occupational and physical therapy, optometry, etc.

(Quoted from the official website of AET: www.aetonline.org)

 What does it mean to be a Board Certified Educational Therapist?

The official website of AET (www.aetonline.org) states the following:

Educational therapists generally begin their professional careers in one or more of the areas listed below:

• Regular Education
• Special Education
• Child Development
• Speech and Language
• Psychological Counseling
• Marriage and Family Counseling
• Advocacy

Regardless of previous background, all Professional members of the Association of Educational Therapists (AET) have met rigorous professional requirements in the academic areas of elementary and/or secondary education, child development, educational assessment, learning theory, learning disabilities, and principles of educational therapy. All members have a B.A. degree and are required to hold a Masters Degree or equivalent in post-BA course work. They have completed at least 1500 supervised direct service hours, and are required to complete 40 clock hours of Continuing Education every two years.

To become a Board Certified Educational Therapist (BCET)®, a member must meet the following additional requirements: Masters Degree (required); one year membership in AET at the Professional level; 1000 hours of professional practice; formal written Case Study evaluated and passed by the AET Certification Board; a written examination that demonstrates professional expertise in educational therapy.